The European Union is obligated to support Ukraine on all levels—financial and military—and has long sought for Ukraine to join the EU. It is crucial for the EU to take an active and assertive stance, expressing its willingness to support any peace agreement that Ukraine deems acceptable. In this context, the possibility of sending European troops to Ukrainian territory to monitor and enforce a potential ceasefire, as well as to maintain peace, should not be ruled out.
It should also be emphasized that the European Union and the United States are historical allies. Therefore, Europe and America face complex tasks and will encounter numerous challenges, and they must work on strengthening these alliance ties. At the same time, it is important that the European Union has the ability to define its own security and defense policy.
This was discussed in a comprehensive interview with the Guildhall news agency by Mr. André Franqueira Rodrigues, a Member of the European Parliament from Portugal (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group).
Mr. Rodrigues, my first question will concern Russia and its actions. As we understand it, all of Russia’s recent actions suggest that Putin does not want to end the war. Here in Ukraine, we don’t have much faith in a ceasefire, peace talks, and so on. Do you have the impression that Russia does not want to end the war?
André Franqueira Rodrigues: First of all, we must emphasize that there can be no talk of a peaceful solution or acceptance of demands if Ukraine is not at the negotiating table. Any agreements that exclude the Ukrainian people as the primary decision-makers will be fragile and will only delay the next conflict. Of course, Russia’s demands must be carefully examined before they are accepted or rejected. Above all, they must be deemed acceptable to the Ukrainian people, as their sovereignty and future are at stake.
Furthermore, any proposed conditions should not undermine long-term peace between Ukraine and Russia, or more specifically, between Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s regime. A settlement that leads only to a temporary ceasefire without ensuring a fair and lasting peace will lay the groundwork for future conflicts. I believe Russia must send clear signals that it wants to ensure peace with Ukraine by respecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. And this can only be achieved if both parties willingly engage in negotiations.
We are currently witnessing the situation between the United States and the European Union. What do you think, should the EU and the US have a unified position on the issue of a ceasefire, negotiations, and support for Ukraine?
André Franqueira Rodrigues: I believe that the European Union must support Ukraine at all levels — financial and military — and has long been striving for Ukraine’s membership in the EU. However, it is well-known that the United States plays a central role in this process, attempting to keep Europe in secondary roles. Despite this reality, the EU cannot and should not remain passive. I am confident that the signals being sent by European governments emphasize the need for a unified and strong European Union. It is crucial for the EU to take an active and assertive stance, expressing readiness to support any peace agreement that Ukraine deems acceptable.
In this context, the possibility of sending European troops to Ukrainian territory to monitor and ensure compliance with a potential ceasefire, as well as to maintain peace, should not be excluded. However, I must emphasize that the European Union and the United States are historical allies. Therefore, we face the complex task of reshaping the geopolitical context between the EU and the US under the leadership of the new administration of President Donald Trump. We must also remember that any political leadership is always situational.
We must look to the future with hope and confidence, knowing that even those leaders who sometimes undermine the positions of strong allies should be considered within this context. We cannot forget the strong ties between Europe and the United States. However, we will face many challenges, and we must work to strengthen these alliance relations. At the same time, it is essential that the European Union has the ability to determine a unified policy in security and defense. We must make greater efforts to achieve these goals and remain a beacon of human rights and democratic values worldwide.
I completely agree with everything you’re saying. We are now in a complex situation, where we see how the United States, in a sense, is positioning itself in opposition to the Western world. But the United States has historically had strong ties with Europe. Therefore, I’m very interested in hearing your thoughts on the unity between the United States and the European Union, as well as on the role of Ukraine as the third party in this equation. As I understand it, Putin is trying to destroy NATO, which is one of his main strategic goals.
André Franqueira Rodrigues: Not only NATO. I believe that the Putin regime views both NATO and the European Union as its strategic enemies and adversaries. The line that the Kremlin follows and constantly emphasizes is aimed at weakening the European Union and undermining its unity. Therefore, we should not expect any decrease in pressure from the Putin regime regarding the EU’s common policies and its ambition to become more cohesive in matters of security and defense. Nevertheless, as I mentioned earlier, this is the work and responsibility that lies before European leaders — Europe must once again become a significant geopolitical player in the coming years. We have a unique political union that ensures the protection of 450 million people.
In these challenging times, when democracy is facing serious threats, when autocracies are gaining strength around the world, and when we are witnessing the rise of far-right movements, populists, and demagogues that endanger democratic regimes, it is absolutely essential to remain united and to defend the values of democracy — both globally and within the borders of the European Union.
In recent times, we have witnessed numerous aggressive actions from the Putin regime directed at Western countries — cutting undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, acts of sabotage, explosions at industrial sites. Some experts say that the greater the distance between a country and Moscow, the less that European country is willing to invest in collective defense or be involved in the war. It seems to me that more and more European countries are beginning to realize that Russia is waging an undeclared war against the West. What do you think — should the European Union issue some kind of response to these threats coming from the Russian Federation?
André Franqueira Rodrigues: I believe we must act on several levels. First and foremost, it is essential to maintain open channels of communication, because even in the face of the serious challenges we have been confronting during these turbulent years — brought on by Russian aggression — we must be able to engage constructively. This includes diplomatic efforts aimed at finding an end to the war that would be acceptable to the Ukrainian people and that would preserve Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Nevertheless, maintaining diplomatic channels is just one aspect of the process. The European Union must possess sufficient deterrent capacity in order to play a more comprehensive role in the complex geopolitical context. Of course, we need to find common ground — after all, we are 27 member states. But one thing is clear: the world we live in today is very different from the one we knew ten years ago. We are facing a range of very specific challenges, and we need time to take the necessary steps to develop a common strategy we can work from. That will allow the European Union to be better prepared for strategic and autonomous defense in several domains.
Defense and security are among these domains, but there is also a broader concept of security that is not limited to the military and armed forces. We must pay attention to other areas, such as technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and food security. All of these sectors must work together to ensure a strategic response in the difficult times we are living through.
When you ask whether the European Union should be doing more, I have to point out that we are made up of 27 countries. We strive to be more agile and responsive to the challenges before us. And while we may not always move quickly, we must not forget that the European Union acts with a sense of urgency, delivering swift responses for our Ukrainian friends and seeking to restore balance on the global political stage, where we are facing serious and dangerous threats.
So, in light of what you’ve just said, can we say that unity is necessary between the position of the United States and that of the entire European Union, as well as other countries that we refer to as the Western world — including Japan, Canada, and South Korea?
André Franqueira Rodrigues: The ideal plan is for all democracies to unite to defend Ukraine. From the perspective of the European Union, Ukraine’s victory will only be achieved if all territories occupied by Russia are returned and the destroyed infrastructure is rebuilt. However, I believe that Ukraine’s true victory lies in ensuring that such aggression never happens again, that Ukraine can join the EU without obstacles — something the Ukrainian people have long expressed their desire for. At the same time, I also believe we lack broader strategic goals to respond to geopolitical challenges, some of which may pose an existential threat even to a political integration project like the European Union. So, to put it briefly, what is at stake is democracy itself, which is under threat from autocratic regimes.
All democrats around the world must support democracy, even if their political and economic interests may conflict with geopolitical ones — especially when dealing with a powerful country like Russia. Democracy is democracy, and all democrats must be united in its defense across the world. In this specific case, defending Ukraine from aggression is an essential part of that struggle.
Any politician must inspire people to idealistically defend values, because if democracy begins to be undermined by self-interest, we ultimately lose the essence of democracy itself. Democracy is the only system of governance that allows the people, through their elected representatives, to express their views on the issues that shape their future. It is the best way for us, as a free people, to discuss what kind of relationships we want to build with other allies. That is why the Ukrainian people must not sacrifice their sovereignty — not even when negotiating, for instance, their accession to the European Union. No other country should have the right to limit the will of a sovereign nation, as the Russian side is trying to do in relation to Ukraine.
At the last plenary session, we heard testimonies from several Ukrainian women that deeply moved me. When I say that all democrats must stand up for democratic regimes, it is not mere idealism. If we do not act — then when and where will this end? Today it is Ukraine, but tomorrow — who is next? When and where should we draw the line? That line must be drawn when democracy itself is at stake. We must not be afraid. We must unite our voices and declare: «This is where we draw the line. We are fighting for democracy!»
Very strong words. I have nothing to add.
André Franqueira Rodrigues: The struggle of the Ukrainian people is very inspiring and serves as a wake-up call for the European Union to face the dangers of the new political reshuffle in the world, which will be relevant in the near future.
I think that, for example, the Baltic states and the northern European countries realize that they will be next if Ukraine falls. Because I don’t think Putin will bring his big army, which is 600,000 men, back to Russia.
André Franqueira Rodrigues: We understand that. There are two kinds of threats. The first is the threat from an army that invades and invades other countries. The second is covert threats that undermine our democracies. For example, foreign funding of politicians, attempts to attack democratic values through undermining free elections and free speech, and the spread of autocratic narratives and political discourse like the Kremlin regime. We can also see similar threats within the European Union when some regimes do not look very democratic. Let me conclude by thanking you for standing up for democratic values, defending your country and inspiring us all. Thank you for preserving freedom of expression, even in the face of aggression.
Hanna Soloviova, Guildhall News Agency, exclusive.
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